Gov’t to Disburse Social Assistance Simultaneously Early Next Year

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini deliver statements after attending a Limited Cabinet Meeting at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (29/12). Photo by: Rahmat/PR.

The Government has announced it will start distributing social assistance simultaneously in early January next year to strengthen people’s purchasing power, increase public consumption, and speed up economic recovery, according to Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy.

“The plan is to provide assistance simultaneously in early January. In early January, we hope that the beneficiary families will be able to receive the assistance, whether it is channeled through PT Pos (state postal company) or through banks appointed by the Government (state-owned banks),” the Minister said after attending a Limited Cabinet Meeting on Preparation for the Distribution of Social Assistance in 2021 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (29/12).

The Coordinating Minister asked all state-owned banks to comply with the agreement to immediately inform the beneficiaries to withdraw the funds.

Muhadjir also said that the beneficiaries must comply with the guidelines set by Ministry of Social Affairs in using the assistance, among other things, to buy staple food.

He went on to say that the target number of beneficiary families (KPM) of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in 2021 remains 10 million families, while the Cash Social Assistance will be distributed to 18 million beneficiaries.

The Government will also transform the existing staple food assistance for beneficiaries in the Greater Jakarta area to direct cash assistance which will be delivered directly by personnel of PT Pos to the house of each beneficiary.

On that occasion, the Coordinating Minister also explained that the realization of social assistance this year was above 90 percent.

In 2020, the social assistance has been disbursed in the forms of the Family Hope Program, and staple food assistance which have also been implemented before the pandemic, as well as special assistance to deal with the social impacts due to the pandemic, namely in the forms of Cash Social Assistance and Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance.

“All of the schemes have been completed this year, with the average absorption rate above 90 percent and some have even reached 100 percent. For the PKH, the absorption rate is 100 percent, for the BPNT (Non-Cash Food Assistance) or the Staple Food Card, the absorption rate is also 100 percent,” he said. (FID/UN) (RI/MUR)